METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER PROCESS

摘要

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is formed by reaction of methanol with tertiary butyl ether in two catalyst beds. A feedstock mixture comprising methanol and tertiary butyl alcohol in a molar ratio of 2 to 3 moles of methanol per mole of tertiary butyl alcohol is reacted in a first etherification reaction zone at a liquid hourly space velocity of 1 to 10 volumes of feedstock mixture per volume of catalyst per hour. A first reaction product mixture is fractionated to remove unreacted methanol, isobutylene and MTBE overhead. This isobutylene is passed to a second etherification reaction zone at a liquid hourly space velocity of 1 to 10. A second reaction product mixture is fractionated to recover additional MTBE.